Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Two Year Old Boy Smothered To Death In Fire That Destroyed Home-Sister Was Near To Death.

Burned to death in a fire which swept his parents' home, Walter Lavalley, five year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Lavalley, of Irona, lost his life at 10 o'clock last Saturday morning. His two year old sister, Martha is in the Champlain Valley Hospital at Plattsburgh in a serious condition as a result of inhaling a large quantity of smoke.

The two children were in the house alone when the fire started. Their father was at work in the Irona Creamery and their mother had left the house a few minutes before to tend the gasoline station about ten rods from the house.

Suddenly the mother and neighbors saw smoke and flames arising from the house. The frantic parent hurried to the dwelling followed by neighbors and entered the building. The smoke was so dense that it was practically impossible to see anything but by grouping around the mother came upon the unconscious form of her little daughter who had climbed upon a table near the window.

Attempts to locate the boy proved fruitless and due to the intense heat and smoke, the search had to be abandoned. Within a few minutes the house, a frame dwelling, owned by Joseph Snide of Irona, was reduced to smoking embers. The arrival of the West Chazy volunteer fire department, although prompt, was too late to save the building. The loss was placed at $2500.

Walter's body was located in the basement near the kitchen stove. It was badly charred by the fire. It was believed that the youngsters had been playing with matches thus setting the building on fire and that after the flames started, Walter became frightened and hid himself in the house and burned to death.

Drs. Owen O'Neill, of Mooers Fork, and James O'Neil of Mooers, were called to the scene and rendered first aid to the small daughter. She was then taken to the Champlain Valley Hospital where she was attended by Dr. Alice M. North of Plattsburgh. It is believed the girl will recover, as the only burn she received was a superficial burn on the face. She was mostly suffering from suffocation.

Surviving Walter besides his parents and sister, are his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lavalley, of Mooers Forks, and Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rollo, of Ellenburg. The boys mother is the former Miss Mable Rollo, of Ellenburg Depot.